Pliers.



No. 649,039. Patented May 8, I900. W. A. BERNARD.

PLIERS.

(Application flled'Aug. 4, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Fly. 5 I a amma itnesses. Inventor.

Attorneyfl' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. BERNARD, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WVILLIAMSCHOLLHORN COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PLIERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,039, dated may 8,1900.

Application filed August 4, 1899.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. BERNARD, ofthe city and county of New Haven in the State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Pliers, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in' which Figure 1 represents a sideelevation of pliers embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a reverse elevationof the jaws of the pliers, and Figs. 3 and 4 bottom views in detail ofthe jaws.

In all figures similar letters of reference represent like parts.

15, This invention relates to pliers, and more particularly to pliersused in work on electrical wiring, &c.; and it consists in theimprovements and novel combinations of parts set forth hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings, the parts desi gnated by the letters A and Bare hollow handle-levers fulcrumed at a, and to the forward ends ofwhich are pivoted jaws C and D by screws or pins 0 and d. The jaws C andD are shown slotted at c and d at their rear ends for a slidingconnection on pins a and b, secured to the handles, so that the jaws areshown as parallel-moving jaws; but the invention is not limited thereto.

In the gripping-face of the jaw C is a transverse slot of two widths Eand F, the part E being wide enough to receive an electric conductor orwire with its non-conductive coating or insulation, while the part F isof width suflicient merely to receive the wire stripped of itsinsulation. The jaw D is provided with a fiat bearing-surface G on thatpart of the face of the jaw which in closing meets the part of the jaw Cwith the slots E and F, so that when a wire, with its insulation, isplaced over the slots E and F and the jaws are closed the wire is forcedby the surface G-into the slot F and the insulation cut by the edges ofthe slot F and stripped from the portion of the wire forced therein, theinsulatiombeing thus cut longitudinally with the wire. In the case oflight insulation the portion so stripped from the wire may be severedfrom the portion still SerlalNo. 726,170- (No model.)

surrounding the wire by merely retaining the jaws closed and withdrawingthe wire.

Two transverse semicylindrical slots II and K, of. different widths, arealso formed in the jaw C and corresponding slots L and M in the jaw D.The slots H and K extend entirely across the gripping-surface of the jawC, while the slots L and M terminate at one side in a cutting edge N.When a wire with heavy insulation is placed in either of the slots H orK and the jaws closed, the cutting edge N will substantially sever theinsulation on one side of the wire. By'rotating the wire and opening andclosing the jaws the insulation is out on an annular line about thewire, and upon withdrawing the wire while the jaws are closed the wireis stripped of the insulation.

A further feature of the jaws, as shown, is a cutting edge 0 on the jawC and corresponding edge P on the jaw D, so that the wire itself may besevered by the same too], if desired. Flat gripping-surfaces are shownat the outer ends of the jaws, so that the tool may be employed assimple pliers, if desired.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In pliers, the device for stripping the in sulation from wire,consisting of two jaws, one havinga transverse slot of the exact widthof the wire, and the other having a flat bearing-surface adapted to fitover the slot and upon the closing of the jaws to force the entireportion of the wire between the jaws into the-slot, whereby upon thelongitudinal withdrawal of the wire an indefinite length thereof may bestripped of its insulation, substantially as described. v

2. In pliers, the device for stripping the insulation from wire,consisting of a slot of two widths in one jaw, one width of slot beingsuflicient to receive the wire without the insulation; and a flatbearing-surface on the other jaw adapted to fit over the slot,substantially as described.

3. In pliers, the device for stripping the insulation from wire,consisting of a semicylin- In witness whereof I have hereunto set myhand this 3d day of August, 1899.

WILLIAM A. BERNARD.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL H. FISHER, ELIZABETH K. PENDLETON.

